NEW YORK – The NHL Network will host a roundtable discussion on Monday, Feb. 23 at 7:00 p.m. ET to celebrate Black History Month and the National Hockey League’s Hockey Is For Everyone initiative. The panel, which features Hockey Is For Everyone ambassador Tony McKegney, NHL alumnus Ray Neufeld, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jamal Mayers and Montreal Canadiens draft pick P.K. Subban, will reflect and comment on the increase of minority players in the NHL. The two-hour feature will be hosted by Dan Pollard, co-host of NHL On The Fly, which airs nightly on the NHL Network.

The panel will discuss the various challenges faced by minorities in hockey, the increase in minority participation in the NHL and current role models for minority youth. Other topics to be discussed include: collegiate hockey vs. junior hockey, the election of U.S. President Barack Obama, hockey’s importance to youths, education scholarships for amateur hockey athletes, marketing the game and hockey in the U.S. The roundtable forum will include reflections of players from their respective careers and thoughts about future opportunities for minorities.

The Hockey is for Everyone initiative is a component of “The Biggest Assist Happens off the Ice,” the NHL’s social responsibility program that builds on the League’s long-standing tradition of addressing important social issues in North America and around the world. Hockey is for Everyone provides support and unique programming to non-profit youth hockey organizations across North America that are committed to offering children of all backgrounds opportunities to play hockey. The initiative is supported by NHL member clubs, players, NHL alumni, and fans. To date, Hockey is for Everyone has exposed close to 45,000 boys and girls to unique hockey experiences.

To celebrate this initiative, the NHL hosts the annual Hockey is for Everyone Month in February. The league-wide initiative includes numerous activities to promote the diversity of the game that involve our clubs, players, alumni, fans, and grass-roots diversity programs, all with the goal of raising awareness and celebrating the growth of the game.

If this is true, then the NBC schedule for the rest of the season looks like this. We’re taking into account the probability that the Penguins will have used up their 4th appearance – likely taking on Boston themselves – by the time March 22nd rolls around. Get ready for an all-Boston March: